County sheriff: No bear sightings Thursday

Photo Provided by DeKalb County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Duehning
The black bear, seen in this photo taken on patrol by DeKalb County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Duehning, was seen near Derby Line Rd. south of Genoa the morning of Wednesday, June 11, 2014.

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The black bear was first seen near Genoa about 8:20 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of routes 72 and 23. A sheriff's deputy later spotted it near Derby Line Road in a heavily wooded area close to the Ellwood Greens housing development.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources continues to monitor the bear, which they believe is the same animal recently spotted across northern Illinois.

"We haven't had a [new] sighting yet," said Hank Frazier, Region 1 commander for the IDNR. "I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. It could just wander back to Wisconsin. We just wait for the reports to come in from here on out."

The last reported sighting of the bear, which likely weighs 250 to 300 pounds and would stand 6 feet tall if it were on its hind legs, came at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday near Lukens and Plank roads in Sycamore.

As bear species go, the black bear is pretty timid, experts said, adding that most bears found in the area come from the north.

Residents are advised to take precautions, such as closely supervising pets and small animals when they're outside, taking down bird feeders, and not leaving any kind of food outside.